Ash pan



2 SHEETS-SHEET l- .CH A. BALLOU.

ASH PAN, FILED FEB. 28, L922.

Feb. 13, 1923.

C. A. BALLOU.

Feb. 13, 1923.

ASH PAN.

FILED rEB.2B.1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Feb. i3, i923.

lAASAll* Partnr ortica CLEVELAND A. BALLOU', OF NETTON, :MASSACHUSETTS `.ASH PAN.

Application led February 28, 1922.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CLnvnLAND A. BALLoU, a. citizen o-f the United States of America. and resident of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ash Pans, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention consist-s in improvements relating to ash pans and has for its object the provision of an ash receptacleby the aid of which ashes may be removed from house heating furnaces without the usual accom-l paniment of flying ashes which are disagreeable to the person handling the furnace and accumulate in the furnace room as dirt which is very diiiicult to remove. This 0bject is attained by the use of my invention through means which prevent the deposit of any ashes whatever on the floor of the ash pit below the furnace grate and` which inechanically compel the deposit of ashes shaken from the grate. in a. receptacle which is easily removed and transported and can advantageously be employed instead of the usual ash barrel for temporary storage of ashes and for the removal of the same from the house where they are accumulated.

In the drawings hereto annexed which illustrate my invention,

Fig. l is a view in plan of an ash pan and ash catchers cooperating therewith;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the lower portion of a. domestic furnace or house heater and an ashpan and ash catchers such as are shown in Fig. l;

Figy is a view in plan of an ash pan with ash catchers of a. specifically different char` acte-r than those shown in Fig. l; adapted to a round ash pit;

Fig. l is a. view on an enlarged scale in cross section on line Ar-ll of Fig. 3;

y Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation of several ash pans stacked one upon the other;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of an ash pan cover; and

Fig. 7 is a. view in perspective of a hold ing bar adapted for use when ash pans are stacked as shown in Fig. 5.

House heating furnaces are of many different designs and sizes, but all of the makes with which l am acquainted have either a Serial No. 539,995.

rectangular or a round ash pit and in most cases the ash pit door or opening is smaller in extent horizontally measured than the ash. pit itself and usually smaller' in width than the grate so that any ash pan capable of being inserted into the ash `pit through the ash pin opening will be toosmall to receive the ashes falling from the grate at the sides thereof, although capable of intercepyting the major part of the ashes which descend' from the major and middle portion of the grate.

l provide, therefore, for all cases an ash pan of such width that it may be passed through the ash pit opening and of such length that it will extend from the frontto the back of the ashpit below the grate and I also pro-vide ash catchers which are disposedat either side of the ash pan in such position as to intercept all ashes falling from port-ions of the' girate which dor not lie. within the area of a vertical"projection of the ash pan'.

In either specific example of my improvements7 the ash catchers or interceptors which are lateral to the main ash receptacle interfit closely with; and overlap the` edges of the latter, so that when the. main receptacle is in position in the furnace pit, this receptacle. and the laterally disposed adjuncts to it collectively cover the entire area below the furnace grate, with no gaps or intervals. through which ashescan passtothe floor ofthe furnace pit.

In Figures l and Q'there is shown an arrangement of ash pansand catchers. adapted to a rectangular asli pit. The ash pan A is substantially as long as the ash pit is deep from front to back; the rear end of the ash pan may, ifdesired, be bowed asshown at A2 and will preferably have its forward edge A3 depreed as best shown in F 5L The ash pan A will also be provided with reinforcing strips A]L which serve asl runners on which the ash pan may beI drawn about and also protect it against wear.

These runners also perform an important function, in that they raise the bottom of the pan from the surface of the furnace pit floor, or from the Hoor of the cellar or base ment. and thus provide a space for air circulation and heat insulation. Since the pan Y is placed beneath the grate G, there are fixed the inclined ash catchers B. rlhe edges B1 of the ash catchers overlap the edges A3 of the ash pan so that ashes falling upon the catchers B must find their way into the ash pan A and not on to the floor of the ash pit P. This provision of means for effectively closing all gaps through which light ash might sift through and accumulate on the furnace-pit floor has for its object not only the prevention of the light-ash nuisance but also the protection of the ash receptacle itself from accidental local overheating.` lf light ash. is allowed to accumulate on the furnace pit floor, `it will close the air cir-- culation space between the ash-pan bottom and the furnace-pit floor (provided by means of the strips or runners A) and erm pose the pan itself to injury by overheating.

In contriving and providing all these precautionary means, the avoidance of fire-risk has been borne in mind, obviously the preservation of the metal of which the removA able ash receptacle will be composed, is an important factor in reducing fire-risk. The ash catchers B are made of sheetiron or otherresilient as well as fire resistant material so that the ash pan A, when inserted into the ash pit.y will automatically bend the ash catchers B upward as it slides under them, finally allowing the inner edges of the ash catchers to spring downward inside the edges of the ash pan as shown in Fig. 2. In the case illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the ash catchers B are designed to be fastened in place in the furnacev and this may be done whether the ash pit be rectangular or round, but in the case of the round ash pit,l believe that the form illustrated in Figures 3 and l will on the whole prove more convenient.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the ash pan A is of substantially the same character as that shown in Figs. l and 2 and will bear about ythe same dimensional relation to the ash pit. The ash catchers in this case, however, consist of segmental boxes C between which the ash pan A is inserted when it is passed into the ash pit through the opening thereon. The ash pan A and segmental ash catchers C will he so proportioned that when the pan is inserted between the catchers as shown in Fig. 3, these three ash intercepting factors will substantially lit and wholly oc` cupy the round ash pit. The edges A3 of the ash pan A will then overlap the innerV edges C1 of the ash catchers C so as to pre` vent any ash falling from the grate from being deposited on the ash pit floor. By far the larger part of the ashes shaken from the furnace gratev will deposit themselves in the ash pan A. The laterally disposed ash-catchers C are provided with strips or runners C3, which perform functions similar to those of the strips A.

The ash pan with its ash catchers will preferably be placed in the ash pit to await the'periodical shaking of the furnace. The occasional drip of ash from the grate will in the meantime be deposited in the ash pan or be intercepted by the ash catchers. lli/*hen the furnace is shaken, all the ashes, in theV case shown in F 1, and the major part of them, in that shown in Fig. 3, will be deposited in the ash pan A and after the operation fills the pan, it is very easy, by inserting a poker or some other instrument, in the handle H (see Fig. 5) to draw the pan and its contents out through the ash pit opening on to the floor of the furnace room. ln the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 it will not be found necessary to remove and empty the ash catchers C so often as the ash` pan A, so that the ash catchers may be left in place to remain there several days before removal for emptying. The removal of these segmental ash catchersis effected through the ash pit opening by means of the bails or handles C2 and the contents of the ash catchers C may then be dumped into a barrel or preferably into one of the ash pans A which can with advantage be utilized instead of the ordinary ash barrel.

The full advantage, in respect to convenience and cleanliness of my improved ash pan arrangement, will be secured if several similar ash pans are provided. These may be somewhat tapered from top to bottom as shown in Fig. 5 lso that when not in use, several pans can be conveniently and compact-ly nested. TWhen one of these pans lilled with ashes is withdrawn from the furnace, it will be placed at one side and then in conformity with the usual lire protective laws, it will be covered with a sheet metal cover such as shown in Fig. 6 and a similar ash pan will then be placed in the furnace pit. l/Vhen the .second ash pan is full and withdrawn from the ash pit, it can be placed on top of the first one from which thev cover will be removed since the second pan serves as acover to the first. :Preferably and in order to prevent the ash pan from becoming spreader deformed, re taining bars such as E, Figs. 5 and 7, will be provided. Two or more such retaining bars will be laid on the bottom pan with the down-turned ends E? gripping the edges A3v of the ash pau and with vthe rip-turned clips El serving as stops to hold the second ash pan in position. When a number of these ash pans have been thus lled, they can be stacked either in the furnace room or lll) taken outside and there stacked to await the rounds olf the ash collector.

In order that the presence of such an ash pan in the ash pit of the furnace may not interfere With the necessary drattj theitront edge A3 oi the pan is curved or depressed as shown in Fig. 3 thus to adord a suiiciently large opening` for the admission of air to the bottom of the grate.

lt all the ash pans are iull or it l'or any reason it is not desired to insert an empty. ash pan, it is advisable to place one et the ash pan covers beneath the grate to prevent the accumulation of ashes unon the floor of the pit which will clogthe air passages beneath the ash pan later inserted and possibly result in damage thereto as described above.

lWhat l claim and desire to secure by lietters JPatent is:

l. The combination, with a furnace grate, of an ash pan smaller in horizontal ext-ent than the grate and provided with a depressed tront edge, and ash catchers., disposed beneath those portions ot the grate which lie outside a vertical projection et the ash pan, the edges of the ash pau and ash catchers overlapping` and closely intertting, the ash pan removable independently ot the ash catchers.

2. The combination With a 'furnace grate, ot an ash pan smaller in horizontal extent than the crate, and resilient ash catchers disposed beneath those portions ol' the grate which lie outside a vertical projection ot' the ash pan, the edges ot the ash catchers being` arranged to spring Within the ash pan and closely intert therewith as the ash pan is moved into position beneath the grate.

3. The combination with a furnace grate.J of an ash pan smaller in horizontal extent than the grate, and resilient asn catchers disposed beneath those portions of the grate which lie outside a vertical projection of the ash pan7 the edges ot the ash catchers being' arranged to spring' Within the ash pau and closely intertit therewith as the ash pan is moved into position beneath the grate, the ash` pan being1 removable independently ot the ash catchers.

e. rlhe combination With al furnace grate. of an ash pan smaller in horizontal extent than the `grate, and provided with a depressed tront edge, ash catchers disposed beneath those portions of the grate which lie outside a vertical projection ot the ash pan. the edges ot the ash pan and ash catchers overlapping' and closely interlitting, and reinforcing strips on said ash pan providing` an air space therebeneath and serving` as runners therefor in removing` and inserting said ash pan.

5. The combination with a furnace grate, of an ash pan smaller in horizontal extent than the grate, and ash catchers disposed beneath those portions ot the grate which lie o. rlhe combination with a furnace grate,

vot an ash pan smaller in horizontal extent than the grate. and ash catchers disposed beneath those portions oit the grate which lie outside a vertical projection of the ash pan, the edges olf the ash pau and ash catchers overlapping and closely interiitting, the trout edge ot the. ash pan beingv depressed to `provide the necessary draft to the grate, and reinforcing means on said ash pan providing an air space thereunder and serving as runners in its removal and insertion beneath the grate.

- 7. Ash receiving apparatus adapted to be installed in the ash pit ot a il'urnace comprising an ash pan of a size to pass through the door of the pit and ash catchers arranged to be secured beneath the furnace `grate under those port-ions of the grate ivhich lie outside a vertical projection of the ash pan, the edges olf the ash pan and ash catchers overlapping and closely inter-fitting, the ash pan being removable independently oi" the ash catchers.

8. fish receiving apparatus adapted to be installed in the ash pit et a furnace comprising an ash pan ot a. size to pass through the door ot the pit and resilient ash catchers arranged to be secured Within the pit under those portions olf the grate which lie outside a vertical projection ot the ash pan, the edges of the ash catchers beine' arranged to spring Within the ash pan and closely vinter- .tit therewith as the ash pan is moved into position beneath the grate.

9. Ash receiving apparatus adapted to be installed in the ash pit oil.E a furnace comprising an ash pan smaller in horizontal extent than the grate to permit it 'to pass through th ash pit door and ash catchers arranged to be secured Within the pit under those portions oi? the `trate `which lie outside a vertical projection ot the ash pan, the edges ot' the ash pan and ash catchers overlripping` and closely interfittingr. the front edge ot the ash pan being;` depressed to provide the necessary draft to the grate.

l0. fish receiving apparatus adapted to be installed in the ash pit ot afurnace comprisins; an ash pan smaller in horizontal extent than the grate to permit it to pass through the ash pit door, resilient ash catchers arranged to he secured within the pit under those portions ot the `grate which lie outside a vertical projection of' the ash pan.4 the edges ot thc ash pan and ash catchers overlapping; and closelj,v iniertittine'` the front edge oir' the ash pan beingv depressed to provide the necessary drattto the `grate. and reiniorcing` strips on said ash pan providing` inwardly disposed and downwardly inclined resilient ash catchers comprising an ash pan of a size to pass through the ash pit door having sides arranged to be in overlapped and closedly interlitted engagement with the ash catchers, the front edge 01" the pan being depressed to provide the necessary dra-'lt to the grate, and reinforcing means on the ash pan providing an air space thereunder and serif'ing as runners in its removal and insertion beneath the grate.

Signed by ine at Boston, Massachusetts,

this twenty-fifth day of February, 1922.

CLEVELAND A. BLLU. 

